Incoming!
}} Elan covers the team's expeditious retreat. Cast * Haley Starshine (also as illusion) ◀ ▶ * Elan (also as illusion) ◀ ▶ * Belkar Bitterleaf (also as illusion) ◀ ▶ * Durkon Thundershield (also as illusion) ◀ ▶ * Hinjo (also as illusion) ◀ ▶ * Daigo Da- (also as illusion) ▶ * Kazumi Kato (also as illusion) ▶ * The Eye of Fear and Flame (as Skullsy) ◀ ▶ * Two Hobgoblin Clerics * A Troop of Hobgoblin Archers * A Squad of Hobgoblin Swordsmen Transcript The company of archers prepares to loose their arrows. Hobgoblin Cleric #1: FIRE! Belkar (off-panel): Don't mind if I do! The hobgoblins are incinerated in a Fireball. Belkar sits on a merlon on a tower parapet. Belkar: Get it? Because he said, "Fire!", and then you used a "Fire"-ball, and now they're all dead! Eye of Fear and Flame: Yes, sir, very funny, sir. Eye of Fear and Flame: Please don't hurt me. Elan Belkar! You came back to help us! Belkar: Actually, all the hobgoblins ran into the city, and I just followed them. Belkar: So it was more of a prey migration thing, really. Belkar: I'd love to kill them all for you, but my friend can only Fireball every so often and SOMEONE decided to keep a spell on me that prevents me from killing inside a city. Belkar: Hinjo. Durkon: Lass, tha ones tha lived are startin' ta recover thar focus. Haley is hit by an arrow. Haley: OW! I noticed. Haley: We need to get out of the spotlight, unless we want PC to stand for Pin Cushion. Haley: As current leader of the Order of the Stick, it is my solemn duty to call for the execution of our oldest, most reliable strategy. Haley: RUN!! Daigo: You too. Daigo: Sir. He grabs Hinjo. Hinjo: Take cover in the tower! Kazumi Kato: Hey, wait for me! Haley: Well, it's been better than being out there, but I don't like being trapped in a tower. Hinjo: We're not trapped, there's a tunnel out of here on the ground floor. Haley: It leads to the castle? Perfect! We can sneak into— Durkon: Cure Light Wounds. Hinjo: No, it leads to the armory that builds and services the catapults, about six blocks away. Hinjo: We thought a tunnel that led directly to the castle was too risky. Haley: I guess that's something. But what we really need is a way to get into that palace to keep Xykon form getting his bony hands on that Gate. Hinjo: Agreed. Durkon: But if'n tha hobbos think we're in here, they'll just break tha door down ev'ntually. Haley: I have an idea. Durkon: Cure Light Wounds Haley: Elan, follow me. Hobgoblin Cleric #2: Take a squad of men up there and get into that tower. I don't want anyone hiding in— Illusory Elan (off-panel): Hello, nice hobgoblins! Illusory Hinjo: My name is Hinjo. I am here right now. Illusory Haley: I am Haley. I, too, am here. Illusory Belkar: We are all here right now and definitely not somewhere else. Haley (whispering): Elan, you put yourself in the wrong clothes! Elan (whispering): Whoops, I forgot! Hobgoblin Captain #2: There they are! Hobgoblin Captain #2: Shoot them! Haley (whispering): Honey, you have to make them react to the arrow or it's going to spoil the illusion! Elan (whispering): Oh, right! Illusory Hinjo: Ow. Illusory Haley: Ow. Illusory Elan: Ow. Illusory Durkon: Ow. Illusory Hinjo: Oh my. In my death stagger, I am accidentally falling over the edge of the wall. Illusory Haley: Me too. Illusory Elan: It sure would be a waste of time to search for our bodies. Haley (whispering): Did it work? Elan (whispering): Definitely Haley (whispering): How can you be sure? Hobgoblin wearing a t-shirt which says, "I Killed a PC and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!". D&D Context * PC stands for Player Character. * Elan appears to be using the 3th level bard spell Major Image which allows the caster to create illusions with multiple sensory components. Trivia * This is the first unambiguous appearance of Daigo and Kazumi, who at this point are just nameless soldiers. We don't find out their names until #472. Daigo's surname remains a mystery, as they only plan to reveal it in extremis, based on the fact that named characters fare better in stories. We do find out that it starts with the letter D in #501. Because Daigo and Kazumi are initially presented as generic soldiers, it is impossible to know if they have appeared before. However there are two previous soldiers who could be Daigo: Shlubbo Noname-zaki from #435, and the soldier in panel one (and elsewhere) of #438. There is also a possible previous appearance of Kazumi: the soldier who handles Hinjo's package personally in #418, though only her proximity to Hinjo suggests this. * Illusory Elan is wearing his original clothes from the comic, which he hasn't worn since his stint in the Cliffport prison and his multiclassing in Dashing Swordsman. External Links * 455}} View the comic * 44954}} View the discussion thread Category:Uses Fireball Category:Uses Cure Light Wounds Category:Uses cure wounds Category:Uses Major Image Category:The Battle of Azure City